Process of obtaining glue or gelatin.



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Patented June 3, 1913.

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v www ff( ,d PATE GEORGE UPTON, 0F SALEM, MASSACHUSETTS.

I PROCESS 0F OBTAINING G-LUE 0R GEILATIN.

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clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in explaining its nature,

` The essential object of my invention is to provide for-a dissolution of the stock for obtaining glue or gelatin by subjecting the stock and formed glue' or gelatin to as little n aqueous and heat influence as possible.

To this end my processresides in subjecting the stock to the influence of steam for dissolving out the glue and then removing `or separating the forming glue and formed glue from the surfaces of the dissolving bits or. pieces of stock by mechanical or other attritive action, when the glue separated from thels'tock will readily enter into solution with the water from the condensing steam, forming a glue water which is removed or allowed to Iescape -as rapidly as possible from the heat influence tending to decompose and weaken the glue if long subjected to such influence.

The process can' best be understood in the `light of an apparatus for practising it which I have found to be exceedingly good and which is shown diagrammatically in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l shows the apparatus partly in elevation and partly in vertical Section.

Fig. 2 is a section on the line 2-2 of Fig.'

1. Fig. 3 is a section showing a turned p0- stion of the receptacle forming one of the essential elements of the apparatus and to which special reference will hereinafter be made.` Fig'. 4- shows in elevation a slightly modified type of the apparatus.

Referring to the drawings, 1 is a recep tacle or digester for containing stock during its dissolution and which stock of course consists of the material ordinarily employed,

The receptacle l is preferably tubular in form and mounted upon trunnions 2, 2, suitably supported and through which means of support the receptacle may be rotated or turned by a pulley 3 operated upon by 'any suitable mechanism (not'shown). The

peripheral wall of the receptacle is perforated but preferably onl in part as shown by the perforated longitu inal sect-ions 4, 4f, arranged on opposite sides of the receptacle. In order that the stock may be placed within the receptacle it is provided with a. hinged lid 5 which forms as shown a part of the peripheral wall of the receptacle. Located within the receptacle and preferably pa ssing'through the longitudinal' center thereof is a perforated pipe 6. Steam is introduced into this pipe at the points of or through one of the trunnions 2 by a. steam inlet pipe 7. Beneath the receptacle is a tank 8 for receiving the dissolved glue. v

My improved process is carried on by the use of this apparatus in the following manner :-Arfter placing the stock in the receptaclel (it being placed therein preferably up to a point above the perforated pipe-6),

steam is admit-ted through the steam inlet pipe 7 to enter the perforated pipe 6 from the steam at the same time mingling intimately therewith and evenly attacking the same as the pieces of stock disturbed by the turning of the receptacle continually eX-` ,pose fresh surfaces to the dissolving in.-

luence of the steam. As' the stock becomes softened by the steam, the forming and formedglue 'will gradually appear upon the surfaces of the pieces of stock as a gelatinous or-viscous substance which is not left upon the pieces of stock where itI would be exposed to the influence of the steam and heat for a protracted period of time after extraction or until it was so reduced as to gravitate or run from the pieces of stock,

,of glue Water Will gravitate toward the bottom of the receptacle, percolating through the pieces of stock therein, and as the receptacle slowly turns will escape through the perforated sections 4 therein into the tank 8 from Which it may be drawn olf for `further treatment.

In Fig. 4 there is shown a slight modification of the apparatus in that the peripheral Wall 9 of the receptacle is perforated throughout for the escape of the glue which has been formedl and separated vfrom the stock. I prefer, however, to employ the apparatus first shown in that if the entire peripheral Wall of the receptacle is perforated it allows a too free escape of the steam introduced into the chamber of the receptacle when in order to retain a proper amount of steam and heat within the receptacle more steam will have to be introduced than that preferably employed and desirable. In this connect-ion I would explain that in the first described construction Weighted flaps 9 are advantageously employed for retaining the steam. 'These flaps are secured to the rcceptacle at points adjacent to the respective perforated sections 3, 3, thereof and as the receptacle is turned will automatically close and open, opening for the escape of the glue.

In practice the steamis usually introduced into the receptacle so as to maintain therein a temperature of from 130 to 212 degrees F., thelower the temperature the better, but this depends upon the kind and condition of the stock.

While other types of. apparatus might be employed for practisingthe process, the apparatus shown is good inasmuch as auxiliary mechanical expedients for agitating the stock are unnecessary, the turning of the receptacle causing the stock .to gravitate, portions thereof continuously wearing over other portions thereby effecting the attritive action above described. Moreover, as the receptacle turns the tendency of the stock is to eiiect a Wearing action toward `t-he bottom ofthe receptacle and outlet from it.

By the term glue as used herein and in the claims is chemically meant gelatin, the process. being yequally applicable for the extraction of the purer forms of gelatin or food gelatin, or the coarser forms of gelatin or glue. n

By the term steam as used herein and in theclaims is meant either steam or Warm aqueous vapor or a mixture of the two. In some cases, and especially if the stock is very dry, it may be desirable to introduce nely atomized Water with the steam. In ordinary practice, however, this is unnecessary.

Glue extracted according to this process is of excellent colorand of very high adhesive strength. Moreover, it can be extracted in one quarter of the time taken by ordinary methods of extraction.

Having thus fully described my invention, I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States 1. The process of treating glue stock for obtaining glue, yconsisting in subjecting the glue stock to the action of vheat and moisture and at the same time effecting a mechanical separation of the glue as itforms from thel surfaces of the d1ssolving pieces of stock and removing the formed glue immediately as it is so separated. y

2. The process of treating glue stock for obtaining glue, consisting in subjecting the glue stock to the action .of steam, effecting a mechanical separation of the glue as it forms from the surfaces of the dissolving pieces of stock, and immediately removing the formed glue so separated. from the influence of said steam.

3. The process of treating glue stock for obtaining glue, consisting in subjecting the glueV stock to the action of heat and moisture and at the same time agitating the mass and separating the glueas it forms from the surfaces o'f the dissolving pieces of stock by the attrition thus induced and removing the forrred glue immediately as it is so separate 4. The process -of treating glue stock for,

obtaining glue consisting in subjecting the glue stock to the action of steam and at the same time agitating the mass by which the steam may have intimate access to said stock and the glue separated as it forms from the surfaces of the dissolving pieces of stock by the attrition thus induced, and immediately removing the formed glue so separated from the iniiuence of said steam. Y

5. The. process of treating glue stock for obtaining glue which consists in placing the stock. in a digester, admitting steam to the chamber of the digester and at the Sametime agitating the mass of stock therein by which the steam may have intimate access tosaid stock and the glue be separated as it forms from the surfaces of the dissolving pieces of stock by the attrition so induced, and allowing the formed glue in solution with the Water of the condensing steam to gravitate immediately as it is so formed'and escape from said digester.

6. The process of treating glue stock for obtaining glue which consists m placing the stock in a digester, admitting steam to the chamber ofthe digester and at the same time slowly turning the same by which the steam may have intimate access to said stock and the glue be separated as it forms. from the surfaces of the dissolving piees of stock by the attrition so induced and allowing the formed glue in solution with the Water of the condensing steam to gravitate immediately as it is so formed and escape from the digester.

GEORGE UPTON. Witnesses:

ROGER UPTON, GRACE L. MERRILL. 

